I am done thinking of the current console cycle we are in as "next gen". It should actually be called "Me Too" or "CopyCat".

Now it seems Xbox Live is going to have Avatars, which look a whole lot like Nintendo's Miis. Tony Hawk is  now rumored to have a balancing board, just like Wii Fit. Guitar Hero wasn't content with just being a guitar game and decided to ripp off Rock Band's mojo. What ever happened to hiring innovative minds to further your brand? You know like a certain game company in the Land of the Rising Sun starting with the letter N does.

So Microsoft saw that the Wii prints money and that every age bracket loves the Miis they create. Not satisfied with the death grip it has on the teenage and adult male/FPS loving market, Microsoft lazily makes another attempt to get other bigoted & racist hate spewing users online with cute "Avatars". Thanks Microsoft, now my comical animation looking "avatar" can be called every sexual insult under the sun. I knew I was really missing that part of gaming on my Wii.

Tony Hawk is rumored to be coming with a balancing board to replicate tricks in the game, you know like how Wii Fit replicates yoga and soccer. Well you just ruined the series there Neversoft because you do remember people play Tony Hawk because they can't actually skateboard like Tony or even posses the balance to stay up on the board. If this comes to pass, I can not wait for the skateboard controllers lodged in the HDTV or entertainment center picts because of failed kick flip attempts.

Then there is Guitar Hero and the "keeping up with the Jones'" battle with Rock Band. Ask anyone that own or have played both games, they will tell you they are two separate experiences. Die hard Guitar Hero gods must be pissed that their guitar game is now a full fledged BAND game. For me personally I can't even play Guitar Hero, it is to fast and awkward for me. Rock Band feels right and doesn't seem as brutally difficult. Since no one is buying either game for the graphics, why not just keep up with the downloading tracks? How many plastic guitars and drum kits can a single person cram into their place anyway? Not to mention any dumb plastic molding that is called an accessory for the Wii. 

[Source: Engadget]